Jim's favorite Kind Of Medicine
by JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: Jim is saved from a nasty fate by the quick thinking of Nyota Uhura. Afterwards, their is a very productive conversation in sickbay.


"That was seriously the most badass thing I've ever seen," Jim said in awed amazement as he was helped up the steps out of the Alien stronghold he'd been held in. Uhura had singlehandedly freed him-using her brilliant linguistic skills and razor sharp eloquence to literally shame the Norgar people into letting him go. Despite the pain from his bleeding wounds, he wasn't thinking much about them in his delight at how she'd handled them without so much as a phaser. What a shame Spock couldn't have been there, might have made him regret his life choices a little.

"Thank you, Captain," she said, looking over him worriedly. "But it looks like I was nearly too late. We'd better get you to the doctor before you bleed out. Leonard would not be happy with me if you died."

"He'd probably be relieved to have me off his hands," Jim mumbled, not looking forward to the inevitable lecture from his CMO.

"That's ridiculous, Jim, and you know it," she said, steering him to a flat rock once they'd left the city. "Now, sit here while Hendorff and I try to stem the bleeding a bit. What did they do? You have a bit of the Swiss cheese look going on."

Jim held still noticeably better for her than the doctor, only wincing a bit as his worst wounds were bandaged with the medkit Bones had provided. Being in close proximity to her was no hardship, though he had to work hard to conceal how his heart raced.

"Oh, the usual torture implements," he shrugged. "Couldn't really see since they had me blindfolded. Felt like a bunch of little knives, almost. Ah-OW."

His cool facade was broken when the exceptionally painful gash on his side was seen to and the jolt of pain had him squeezing his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry, Jim. We're almost done. Keep breathing," she reminded him. Jim tried to focus on the gentle hands patching him up instead of the throbbing, but was only mildly successful.

"So, tell me, Uhura," he rasped out as they continued back to the beam out point, "What was it that convinced them to completely change their minds? Because I thought for sure I was a goner."

"Despite their sadistic punishments, The Norgar can be swayed by appealing to their sense of fairness," Uhura explained. " It's weird, but once they'd grasped that the punishment didn't fit the crime that you didn't even know you'd committed, they felt bad. I laid it on thick, just to be really sure."

"You were fabulous," Jim assured her, oozing with pride despite his discomfort. He really had the best linguist in the Fleet and it was incredible to watch her in action. Not that he still crushed on her, oh, no, that ended a long time ago (so he told himself).

"Just trying to keep you from losing another of your nine lives, Captain," she replied, opening her communicator.

"Uhura Enterprise, Three to beam up."

Luckily for Jim, Bones wasn't in the mood for a lecture, only mildly griping at the amount and extent of the lacerations.

"Good heavens, Jim. Did they run barbed wire over you?"

"Don't know. Couldn't see," he gritted out, pain finally getting to him and he stumbled heavily, thankfully caught by Spock, who'd come down to check on the Captain.

Bones shook his head and got right to work, giving Jim a hypo for the pain and beginning to cut off the ragged remnants of his gold shirt.

It was a long painful process getting all of the cuts cleaned and regenerated, some even stitched, and poor Jim fell fast asleep as soon as Bones set the last regenerator on him.

"Thanks for getting him out of there," Bones said gratefully. Uhura was looking down at Jim with an almost wistful expression. Seeing him in that horrible room, chained up and bloody, had elicited a much stronger reaction than his previous escapades (other than the warp core).

Maybe because she knew him a lot more now, maybe because of the unspoken something that had been developing between them in this last year of the five year mission, but she'd had to work hard to stifle her rage in order to negotiate with the Norgars safely.

"He's gonna be fine," Leonard assured her, seeing she hadn't yet moved to leave.

"I know," she sighed. "It was just so scary when he admitted he was in pain. If Jim Kirk does that, you know he's REALLY feeling it."

"Unfortunately," Leonard grimaced. "Luckily for him, it looked worse than it was. Wasn't really any internal damage."

"Thank goodness," Nyota breathed. "I've got to go to the bridge now, but Call me when he wakes up, will you?"

"Sure will," The doctor nodded, smiling to himself at her reluctance to leave Jim. He was pretty sure they were smitten with each other, but they were still dancing around that fact. (He and Spock had a small wager on just when things would happen.)

Jim woke up early the next morning after having caught up on a lot of missed sleep. He felt sore, but the awful shredded feeling was gone.

"Hey sleepy head, you finally awake?"

"Yeah," Jim croaked, cracking a smile at the sight of Uhura sitting by his head. What a very pleasant change from the usual routine of waking up to Bones griping at him.

Craning his head to see the nearest clock, he was more surprised that she'd come down in the middle of shift.

"Spock saw I was having trouble concentrating and relieved me of duty," she informed him, brushing a lock of hair away from his face.

Jim stared up at her wide-eyed. "Were you emotionally compromised, Lieutenant?" He asked half-playfully.

"Don't tell anyone, but yes, I was, Jim."

"That can mean a couple things," he speculated. "One, either you were really, really upset over my getting hurt because you hate the sight of gore, or two, you like me a little bit."

He lifted his eyebrows hopefully.

"It could be both, you know, dear Captain," she said, smiling at him and squeezing his hand. Jim's heart skipped a beat. He loved her smile and having it directed at him was a dream come true.

"Don't talk like that. You'll get my hopes up," he said rather breathlessly.

Uhura suddenly laughed until she nearly cried.

"If talking's not doing it, I guess I'll just have to show you, then," she said brown eyes dancing mischievously before she leaned down and kissed Jim right on the lips.

He was so stunned he didn't react until after she'd pulled away. Had hell finally frozen over?

"So you LIKE like me," He said, flushed and awkward in his stunned joy.

"Hmm-mmm. For a genius, you can be little thick-headed at times," she murmured. "I've been trying to send out encouraging vibes for a couple months now."

"Oh. Well, despite my cluelessness, rest assured I'm very receptive to those vibes and wholeheartedly return them now that I know what they are," Jim said eagerly. "You've always blown me away, Uhura."

"Call me Nyota, you've more than earned the privilege."

With these words, She kissed him again and this time he responded enthusiastically, forgetting most of his troubles in the process.

"Wow. That'll help me get well soon," Jim gasped, causing Nyota to giggle again.


End file.
